Watching Through My Eyes
by Gl33kLovaticTribute
Summary: Gale's POV of The Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

**_This is Gale's POV of The Hunger Games :) This has been done so many times, but I want to try it :)_**

**_Chapter 1._**

I dragged myself out of bed. The only good thing about this day, was that I would be hunting with Catnip. Her real name is Katniss Everdeen, but I like to call her Catnip. My mother is the only one up, and I watch my younger brothers and sister sleeping. They look so peaceful when they sleep.

"Be careful," Mom says just before I was going to go out the door.

"I will. I've been doing this for years, I will be okay," I smile, but I know she wasn't just talking about me hunting. She's scared about the reaping. I am too. My name is in there forty-two times, and there is a big chance I'll be taking place in the Hunger Games, since I have to get a lot of tesserae. The poorer you are, the more tesserae you need. And, my family need a lot. If you're rich, you don't sign up and there less chance of you going into the arena. It's the Capitol's advantage, if we're divided amongst each other.

I go to the bakers, to trade a squirrel for a loaf of bread. It's not a good trade for him, but on reaping days, people tend to be closer. He wishes me luck, and I go to the woods. I sit down, waiting for Katniss. I decide to stick an arrow through the bread loaf, for a joke. I love to see Katniss smile.

"Hey, Catnip," I say. "Look what I shot." I hold up the load of bread with the arrow through it. She laughs and takes it off me. She pulls the arrow out and smells the bread.

"Mm, still warm," she says. "What did it cost you?"

"Just a squirrel. Think the old man was feeling sentimental this morning," I say. "Even wished me luck."

"Well, we all feel a little closer today, don't we?" she says. "Prim left us a cheese." She pulls out the cheese. I smile at the cheese, since we barely have it.

"Thank you Prim. We'll have a real feast." I then put on my best Capitol accent, mimicking Effie Trinket. "I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" I pick up some of the berries from the bushes beside me. "And may the odds -" I toss a berry at Katniss.

"Be e_ver _in your favour!" She finishes.

I pull out my knife and I slice the bread. I can see Katniss watch me. I spread the slices with the soft goat's cheese, putting a basil leaf on each slice, while Katniss picks some berries. We eat the food, which is lovely.

"We could do it, you know," I say quietly.

"What?" Katniss asks me.

"Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it," I say. Katniss stays quiet. "If we didn't have so many kids," I add quickly, knowing that she doesn't know how to respond. We don't have kids. They are my family and her family.

"I never want to have kids," Katniss says.

"I might. If I didn't live here," I say.

"But you do," she says, sounding irritated.

"Forget it," I snap back.

After a long awkward silence, I can tell I shouldn't have said anything. There's nothing romantic going on between us. I wish there was, but I'm not sure how she feels. She's very secretive and barely shows her emotions.

"What do you want to do?" She asks,

"Let's fish at the lake. We can leave our poles and gather in the woods. Get something nice for tonight," I say. After the reaping, we are all supposed to celebrate.

We do well. We have a dozen fish, a bag of greens and a large quantity of strawberries. On the way home, we go to the Hob. We trade six fish, for some good bread and the other two for salt. Greasy Sae takes some of the greens of us, for a couple of chunks of paraffin. Then, we go to the mayor's house to give him the strawberries. Madhe opens the door, and she's wearing an expensive white dress and her hair is tied up with a ribbon.

"Pretty dress," I say.

Madge looks at me, to see if I'm giving her a compliment of if I'm being ironic. She smiles. "Well, if I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?"

This confuses me. Does she really mean it? Or, is she messing with me?

"You won't be going to the Capitol," I say. "What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was just twelve years old."

"That's not her fault," Katniss says to me.

"No, it's no one's fault. Just the way it is," I say.

Madge gives the money to Katniss. "Good luck, Katniss," she says.

"You too," Katniss says and Madge closes the door.

We walk towards the Seam in silence. Katniss doesn't think what I said to Madge was fair, but I think it is.

Katniss and I divide the spoils, leaving two fish, a couple of loaves of bread, greens, a few handfuls of strawberries, salt, paraffin and a bit of money.

"See you in the square," Katniss says.

"Wear something pretty," I say flatly.

At home, I find my mother talking to Rory, Vick and Posy. They all smile when they see the strawberries.

"I think we should have these for dinner," I say, holding up the strawberries.

Vick and Posy sigh, but Rory doesn't say anything. It's his first reaping and he's scared. It's Prim's first reaping as well. Prim is Katniss's sister.

"Rory, it'll be okay. I promise," I say. "Now, go get ready,"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Thank you for everyone favouriting and putting this on story alert, but maybe can we get some reviews? I've been waiting for review...thats why I haven't updated for a week. Sorry. Anyways, here is chapter 2 :)**_

_**Chapter 2.**_

It's one o'clock and I'm on my way to the square with my mother, Rory, Vick and Posy. Attendance is mandatory unless you're dying. Officials go to your home and check if everyone is gone to the reaping. If not, you're thrown in jail. They hold the reaping in the square - the only decent place in District 12. It's surrounded with shops. There are lots of bright banners surrounding the square today, but it does nothing to cheer the spirits up. There's lots of camera crews, which doesn't help either.

People silently sign up. The twelve to eighteen year olds are herded into roped off areas marked off with ages. The oldest are in front and the youngest in the back. Family members line up around the perimeter. There's other people too, who have no one they love at stake, or no longer care, who slip into the crowd, taking bets on the two kids who will be picked. Odds can be given on their ages, where they come from, if they will break down.

It gets very crowded, as people arrive. The square is not big enough for us all. There's eight thousand in District 12, and the square can't hold us all. I am with the eighteen year olds. We all focus on the stage that is set up before the Justice Building. There is three chairs, a podium and two large glass balls, one for the girls names and one for the boys names. Forty-two have my name in the boys ball. There is twenty with the name Katniss Everdeen.

Mayor Undersee and Effie Trinket sit down on two of the three seats. Haymitch Abernathy is missing from the third seat. He's probably drunk. When the clock strikes two, Mayor Undersee steps onto the podium and begins to read. He tells us about the history of Panem and the rebellion, then the Hunger Games. The rules are simple. Kill or be killed. One girl and one boy from each district is taken into an arena and the last one standing, wins. The Capitol requires us to treat them as a festivity, like a sporting event. The winner lives a life of luxury when they go back to their district. There has only been two victors from District 12. One of them died, and the one still alive is Haymitch. He staggers onto the stage, drunk. I was right.

After the mayor finishes speaking, Effie Trinket walks to the podium and gives her signature "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be _ever_ in your favour!" She is wearing a pink wig, which Haymitch nearly took off, by hugging her. She then talks about how much of an honour it is for her to be here, but no one likes being stuck with District 12.

I watch Katniss, to take in all I can, just in case I am picked. Then, through the crowd I can spot her looking at me. I try to smile at her, but it's not a convincing smile. But then it hits me that I probably will be picked, and I quickly look away.

"Ladies first!" Effie says, as she always does and walks to the glass ball with the girls names and she pulls a slip out. _Please don't be Catnip. Please don't be Catnip._ It's not. It's Primrose Everdeen.

I turn to watch Prim walk to the podium, who looks terrified. Then I notice Katniss watching Prim walk in front of her. "Prim!" She shouts, and starts to move towards her. The others make way for her, so she can easily make her way to Prim. She reaches her arm just as Prim is about to mount the steps. She sweeps her arm and pushes Prim behind her. "I volunteer!" She gasps. "I volunteer as tribute!" _No! Not Catnip! _I knew she'd do this. She tries to protect Prim in every way she can.

"Lovely!" says Effie. "But I believe there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if one does come forth, then we, um..." She trails off, unsure.

"What does it matter?" says the mayor. "What does it matter?" he repeats gruffly. "Let her come forward."

Prim is screaming and then she wraps her arms around Katniss. "Prim let go," Katniss says. I can tell shes hiding the fact she is upset, trying to stay strong. "Let go!"

I walk towards Prim and Katniss, as this is killing me. I pull Prim from her. Katniss turns around as I lift Prim off the ground. She's thrashing around in my arms. "Up you go Catnip," I say, while trying to keep my voice steady and then I carry Prim off towards their mother. Katniss climbs onto the podium.

Effie asks Katniss to introduce herself, but I'm not listening to her. How can I? My Catnip is going into the arena? Then the whole crowd touches their three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and hold it out to her. It means we don't thanks, admiration and goodbye to someone you love. We do it at funerals here in District 12. Then Haymitch starts talking. I'm barely listening. Do I volunteer for the male if I am not chosen and protect Katniss in the arena? It's a stupid question, because I know that she would need me to look after her family. We promised each other we would...but still. We never thought it would happen. But now it is, and I'm in danger of losing Katniss. Haymitch then falls off the stage, which brings me back to the situation.

"What an exciting day! But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" Effie tries to get the ball rolling again. She plants her name in the glass bowl with the boys names, and I'm unsure if I want to be picked. I see Katniss look at me. Then Effie reads the name.

"Peeta Mellark."


End file.
